Can someone please explain to me how the morning after pill works? I keep getting different answers from different sources.

It's my understanding that it's supposed to delay or even prevent ovulation (if your body has not yet already ovulated), but what if you HAVE already ovulated? How does it work, then? Also, I have been told it can cause you to have a mini-period/induce your period-- but what if, a week after taking it, there is no bleeding?

I know that, given my age (26), this may seem silly in asking. But better late than never. So...Another few questions:

If a man fingers a woman after touching himself (but not jizzing), and/or attempts to penetrate, but is stopped, or decides not to, while she is in her fertile window, what are the realistic chances of her becoming pregnant from that?

Back story:

I ask because I'm in this predicament... and I have never been in this situation before. I've never had sex. I was either not interested, knew the time wasn't right for me, and agreed with myself it's not happening until preferably AFTER college (check)--but even then, only when I knew without a doubt that I was ready. Though, over the past few months, I've been very, very slowly broken in to messing around (fingering, nipple play, kissing, but no sex) Even now I have mixed emotions about it all, which is part of why I know I am still not ready either emotionally or psychologically for sex. A week ago, my guy started to attempt to penetrate me (and didn't get very far- I only felt him pressing in), but stopped because I nearly freaked out. I was on day 14-15 of my menstrual cycle. ( I'm on day 24-25 now...) Even if that was not the case and I didn't freak out, I would have said no, because, like I said, I simply do not feel at all ready for it.

Not wanting to take ANY chances (and not at all being able to afford to take any chances at this point in my life ) I went and for the first time in my life took the morning after pill- Next Choice; it came with two doses, and I took the first one immediately after purchasing (which was by that point nearly some 8 to 12 hours after we were messing around) and the second dose about 9 hours later because I felt drowsy and didn't want to risk forgetting. ...He stayed with me through it all. I don't like taking new meds. I don't know if I had already ovulated sometime between when we were messing around Friday night and when I took the first pill Saturday at almost lunch time, but if I had...? What are the pregnancy risk factors?

I read that the EC pills can induce your period. It's been a little over a week since I took them, and, no bleeding. Is that a good or bad sign? The only effect EC did have on me was, the next day after taking both pills, I had VERY tender breasts. My nipples were especially sensitive. I also felt a little sick to my stomach, but I think that was the nervousness, and that's about it. The breast tenderness has since gone down, but as of today the nausea is back with vengeance.

...I really hope that you are right. Logically it makes sense that the chances are low, but my body is now giving me a different story. So, I have a new question. Can emergency contraception cause pregnancy-like symptoms?

I ask for two reasons. The first of which is that I have read that EC pills can have more longer-term side effects which can run longer than just one menstrual cycle. I wish they told me this. Some women report bleeding/spotting right away, others went three months without bleeding, and various other stories. Is it possible that it can cause a hormonal imbalance that will throw you off and give you anything from pregnancy symptoms to several months of an irregular cycle? And it isn't just the EC pills, I have a similar theory about birth control. For the first 4 months that my best friend was on the birth control pills, her body thought she was pregnant- even though she had not yet had intercourse. She was sick to her stomach off and on, sluggish, and unusually irritable.

I am digressing. Reason #2: As to what is now going on with me-- I was getting mild cramping similar to pre-menstrual pains. I usually get warning pains that get gradually worse until I start bleeding. (I suffer from very, very severe menstrual pains.) Only these cramps I am currently getting are actually...not so bad. I am also getting acne (I usually get a few spots right before I start my period), and breast tenderness, but this time it's as though it's amplified. I am also seeing veins. My areolas are darker. My sense of smell is very acute, even though I am stuffed up with a cold. And my stomach... Every time I eat, I keep wondering if I can keep anything down, though I have not yet thrown up. And, like with PMS, I am more easily irritated, though UNLIKE with normal PMS, it's much harder to ignore that fact and shrug it off. Usually as my time of the month draws near, I will realize little things that would not bother me, suddenly would. But then I would count back, go "oh yeaah.." in my head, and then shrug it off and think non-annoying thoughts. ...That's harder to do now. Everything irks me. Slow traffic. Loud people. Fans turning on and off. ...and so forth. Weirder still is, I have lost about four pounds this week. It's as though I have shed a pound a day. My cervix seems to have a mind of it's own, as well. Before my period, it's low and firm. This week, it has been low and firm, high and soft, open, close, whatever it wants. I am also feeling tired at random, and by tired I don't simply mean drowsy, I mean tired to the point that I just want to crawl into bed and not leave until spring.

I took a pregnancy test, and it came out negative. Maybe I took it too soon..? My period is due any day now but it doesn't fully feel like it. In addition to acne, mild breast tenderness, and light irritibility, I usually feel bloated and sore three to four days before it happens. I don't feel bloated. Maybe "Aunt Flow" going to be late? I hope. I am trying not to press the panic button just yet but so far I have most of the pregnancy symptoms I have read about.

What are your thoughts? I am currently looking up clinics I can turn to.

All female contraceptive pills act by fooling the body in some way that it is already pregnant, even though it isn't. You seem to be having much stronger than usual symptoms, though. Perhaps stress is making it worse.